Car top



Jan. 11, 1966 J. COLEMAN ETAL 3,228,084

CAR TOP Filed Sept. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VE NTORS Jan. 11, 1966 J. COLEMAN ETAL CAR TOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1963 INVENTORS &% mvm BY t W 5. 5%

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United States Patent Tenn.

Filed Sept. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 306,580 1 Claim. (Cl. 25142) This invention relates to car top blocks, more particularly to refractory blocks for use as the top layer of cars on which clay shapes such as brick are supported during the drying and firing thereof in suitable kilns and it is among the objects of this invention to provide a car block of a standard design that will simplify customer and manufacturing stock problems in that a single design will suifice for the type of surface desired on the car for supporting the refractory shapes thereon.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a car block design which is adapted for heating and cooling between each block, as well as in the center of the block with maximum thermal shock capacity.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a car top design of minimum weight with rounded coring to minimize cracking and which produces a solid car deck that allows brick or other refractory shapes to be set more easily and produce a minimum of rejects.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a car top block adapted for cleaning out sand and debris between blocks as by an air blast to reduce replacement cost and down-time on kiln cars.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a kiln car top utilizing blocks embodying the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 3, FIGURES 1 and 2 being similar views except that the blocks in FIGURE 1 are arranged to present a solid top surface and in FIGURE 2 a spaced top surface;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view, partially in section, of a kiln car embodying the car blocks of this invent-ion taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view in perspective of the car top block shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 0f the drawings; and

FIGURES 5 and 6 are views in perspective of car top blocks with cores modified to suit the height or size of the blocks and maintain substantially uniform wall thickness.

With reference to FIGURE 3, the numeral 1 designates a steel plate with axle brackets 2 for an axle 3 having flanged wheels 4 for travel on a track 5 in a kiln for drying or firing refractory products. The member 1 is provided with side flanges 6 and depending sand flanges 7, the latter being buried in a sand seal as the kiln car passes through the kiln. Refractory brick 8 is placed on the steel plate 1 and held by flanges 6.

Because the kiln truck surfaces are subjected to great wear, a surface or topping layer of blocks are provided which, in accordance with the present invention, consists of the block members 10, as shown in FIGURE 4, which are of standard refractory brick size or any other size to conform with standard dimensions of kiln cars. As shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, the car blocks 10 have a cylindrical core 11 and have concave side walls 12 which when laid in rows, constitute vents through which the firing and cooling medium or gases pass transversely of the kiln truck. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the blocks 10 have a narrow face on one side from the concave recesses to the face of the block and the narrow face can be laid down as in FIGURE 1 to provide spaces 13 at the bottom which are filled with an air setting mortar to eliminate cracks for accumulation of debris so that the vents can be readily cleaned by an air blast or the blocks may be laid with the narrow face up as shown in FIGURE 2, with spaces 14 through which the loose sand or debris may fall into the vents or spaces generally designated by the numeral 15 from which they can be removed by an air blast. In FIGURE 3, the blocks 10 are shown end to end with spaces 16 therebetween which can be filled with refractory mortar to obtain a tight seating to prevent accumulation of debris.

The blocks of FIGURES 5 and 6 have rectangular or substantially elliptical cores with rounded corners to prevent cracking in firing. They can thereby be made high or flat and retain wall sections that are nearly uniform at opposite sides.

The design of the kiln car blocks 19 does not require the need for other blocks as in conventional car top block construction so that a minimum of stock is required and by standardizing on such a design, the user may have the open slotted top or the tight seating block of FIGURES 1 and 2 as desired.

By making the kiln car tops with the cores having rounded corner faces, rejects due to cracking along sharp corners are eliminated and by the availability of cleaning by air blast, replacement costs and down-time on kiln cars is greatly reduced.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

We claim:

A car top for kiln trucks comprising center cored tile disposed in parallel rows with the cores in alignment, said tile when laid up having juxtaposed concave side walls with concave recesses terminating short of the top and bottom walls of the tile which, together with the cores, constitute vents through which the firing and cooling medium passes transversely of the kiln truck, said tile having a narrow face on one side from the concave recess to provide spaces between the assembled tile.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 18,298 12/1931 Straub 50-458 1,739,176 12/1929 Morris et a1 25-142 3,094,759 6/1963 Herron 25-142 3,099,063 7/ 1963 Santhany 50459 OTHER REFERENCES Architectural Record, August 1961, pp. 147. Brick and Clay Record, September 1962, page 26.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiizer.

M. O. WERNECKE, Assistant Examiner. 

